NWFP Assembly session: treasury and opposition fail to evolve consensus on agenda

A meeting of the treasury and opposition benches, convened by the Speaker NWFP Assembly Bakht Jehan Khan, failed to evolve consensus on the agenda of the requisitioned session of the assembly. The meeting of the treasury and opposition members of the NWFP assembly was presided over by the Speaker and ended without reaching on any agreement. The treasury was represented by the Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Malik Zafar Azam, while the opposition parties were represented by Opposition Leader, Shehzada Muhammad Gustasip Khan, Bashir Ahmad Bilour (ANP), Abdul Akbar Khan (PPP-Parliamentarian), Anwar Kamal Khan (PML-N) and Syed Murid Kazim Shah (PPP-Sherpao).
The representative of the provincial government was of the view that the next session of the assembly would be convened for the purpose of presenting provincial budget, but the opposition members were adamant on convening a session, before the budget session.
The meeting continued for three hours and was prorogued without evolving consensus on the agenda. However, sources in the provincial assembly said that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has sent a special message to the opposition members and has assured them about inclusion of development schemes for their constituencies in the upcoming provincial budget.
The sources further added that in this connection, Durrani had also become active and has started contacts with the opposition for removal of their concerns. On Tuesday, the Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Malik Zafar Azam also conveyed to the parliamentary leaders of opposition parties, the good wishes of the chief minister.
Speaker Bakht Jehan has also informed the opposition members that government would give importance to the constituencies of the opposition in next annual developmental programme. He has told the leaders of the joint opposition that in addition to showing consensus on the floor of the house, the treasury and opposition should exhibit such consensus outside the assembly also.